


College- Now Featuring the Avengers

by tigeressdion



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Clint and Natasha surprise everyone with their perf relationship, F/M, Gen, Late night shenanigans, Natasha tries to sneak in a cat, One Shot Collection, Pepper and Tony have a functioning dysfunctional relationship, Pepper is done, Thor fixes things, Tony's a poor little insomniac genius, and scary when she's angry, dastardly!coffee maker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-02-22 17:06:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2515292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigeressdion/pseuds/tigeressdion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Avengers in college- because they're not nearly bad enough as real adults.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The One with Natasha's Cat

It was three in the morning, Clint Barton had long ago given up on writing any paper of any kind and was instead browsing intermittently through Tumblr and YouTube. His eyes were just getting gritty, but he didn't feel tired... much. To remedy the situation, he decided his best plan would be coffee. With a sigh and a successive groan as he clambered off his bed, Clint stretched and headed for the communal kitchen just down the hall. In said kitchen was Tony Stark, the guy who had the room next to him, or maube the next one along. It wasn't the first time they'd run into each other in late night wanderings and both seemed to have come to the silent agreement of talking when they had these chance meetings. Oddly enough, they were the only two awake, or at least in the kitchen: normally Steve Rogers would be there absently sketching; or Bucky Barnes would poke his head around the door to see if they had any milk (Clint didn't ask); occasionally Bruce Banner would be sitting at the counter, scribbling down complicated looking notes; sometimes Natasha Romanoff would even be there- that was who Clint looked forwards to seeing.  
After just five minutes, Tont got up and left, leaving Clint to continue struggling with the coffee maker alone.   
"Psst."   
Clint jumped slightly and narrowed his eyes at the coffee maker.   
"Aw, coffee, no." He muttered, thumping the side of it irritably.  
"Psst!"  
Clint looked around properly, and he saw none other than Natasha Romanoff standing at the entrance to the kitchen, glancing around suspiciously.   
"Nat?" He asked, frowning.   
"Clint! I need your help," Natasha hissed, gesturing for him to come closer.   
Sighing, Clint padded over. "What with?"  
"Help me smuggle this cat into my room."  
Clint tilted his head to the side, maybe his hearing aids weren't working properly. "Sorry, could you repeat that?"  
"Help me smuggle this cat into my room."  
"Cat."  
Natasha showed him a bundle of blankets under her arm, Clint raised an eyebrow at her and she rolled her eyes.  
"It's in the blankets, bird brain!"  
"Well," Clint was confused. "What do you need me for?" He asked. "You seem to be doing fine by yourself."  
"I need you to distract Pepper for me." Natasha told him.  
"Uh... hate to break this to you, Nat, but she's your roommate. 'M pretty sure she's gonna be first to know."  
"Yes, but I didn't tell her yet."  
Clint's frown deepened, "what?"  
"If she *knew* she'd convince me not to." Natasha explained, "this way, she doesn't have a choice."  
After deliberating silently, Clint gave up. If Natasha wanted a cat, she could have her cat. She would be the one getting shouted at by Pepper, not him.  
"What do I do?" He asked wearily.   
***  
A half hour later, Clint was back in his room. *Still* without coffee. At least Natasha's plan had worked. Clint had sufficiently distracted Pepper; who probably thought he was even more crazy than the time she'd walked in on him holding the Lucky Charms hostage on top of the fridge, until Sam gave in and admitted he couldn't just call himself Falcon.   
But whatever, right? By the morning Clint would probably be able to forget that the whole incident had even happened.  
***  
The next morning the whole corridor was woken up by Pepper's shout.  
"WHY THE *HELL* WAS A CAT SLEEPING ON MY FACE, *NATALIA*?"  
There was a collective gasp, even though only Steve was actually out of his bed; *nobody* called Natasha Natalia.  
One by one, the students came to stand at their doors and look with increasing apprehension at Pepper and Natasha's door.   
When Clint emmerged from his dorm to join the others, Tony and Bruce were standing at the door to theirs, and Tony was trying to get Bruce to take a bet on who would win the argument. On his other side, Steve and Bucky were both standing, Steve trying to suppress a smile, and Bucky full on laughing. Thor was chuckling heartily opposite Clint, his younger brother Loki standing next to him looking bored. Jane and Darcy were whispering to each other at the door of the dorm next to Pepper and Natasha's; possibly deciding whether to interfere. Sam and Rhodey were watching the door intently, and Rhodey was glancing at Steve and Peggy; who had a dorm a few doors down, seeing as they were the three most likely to put a stop to things.  
At that moment, the door was pulled forcefully open and Pepper emerged, her usually neat hair a mess and looking a lot angrier than Clint had seen her in a while.  
"You!" She snapped, looking at him. Sadly, seeing as he had no roommate, Clint could only gulp.  
"Me?"  
"Yes: you!" She strode towards him, and she looked taller, even though Clint had three inches on her.  
"Natasha tells me you helped her smuggle in the cat."  
In the corner of his vision, Clint could see Tony shaking his head at him in mock disapproval. Over Pepper's shoulder, Natasha was trying not to laugh at Clint. He could tell.   
"Aw, no, not me." Clint muttered, and Pepper glared at him.  
"It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, Clinton." She said primly, "why else would you want to talk to me at half three in the morning?"  
"I-"  
"About 'how neat dogs are'?" Pepper added and several of Clint's so called friends (he filed away names for later) lost it at that.  
Natasha put her head in hands at that.  
"Can Nat at least keep the cat?" Clint asked weakly.  
He could have sworn Pepper was going to slap him then. Instead she just sighed heavily and and turned around, striding back into the room and slamming the door behind her.  
Natasha turned to Clint, looking sheepish.   
"I don't suppose I can bunk with you for a few nights?"  
Clint looked at her blankly.   
"No." He said shortly, giving her a smug smile as he shut the door.  
Clint wasn't cruel though.  
He knew Peggy would probably let Natasha stay with her.  
He also knew she wouldn't put up with a cat either.


	2. Tony vs. Coffee Maker

"Tony, leave it alone."  
"Five more minutes."  
"Hey man, c'mon, give it up."  
"No! I'm nearly done."  
"Just leave him to it, guys."  
"Aaand finished! *See*," Tony turned around to face his friends with a smug grin.   
"I told you I would fix the coffee maker."  
Clint, who was lazing on the couch with Natasha leaned on his arm, smirked.   
"Really? Show us."  
"I will." Tony told him, he grabbed a cup and pressed the button. Cold water sprayed out of the side of the tap and straight into Tony's face.  
The rest of the group cheered and clapped sarcastically.   
"I'm a genius. I'm a technological wizard," Tony grumbled. "How can I not fix one coffee machine?"  
"Come on, Tony," Rhodey said, standing up and gently taking his friend by the arm. "When was the last time you slept?"  
"A genius doesn't need to sleep," Tony declared.  
"Sure, buddy," Rhodey grinned tugging the unwilling genius out of the kitchen.  
The friends exchanged amused looks, and went back to whatever conversations they'd been having before. Ten minutes later, Thor showed up at the door to the kitchen.  
"Greetings!" He boomed in his usual fashion, from the looks of him, he'd just returned from playing football.  
A chorus of greetings replied and Thor smiled then headed to the coffee maker.  
"Oh, Thor, that doesn't work." Darcy called, "even Tony can't figure it out."  
Thor mulled the new information over for a moment, then hit the side of the coffee maker, fetched a cup and pressed the button.  
Hot coffee poured straight out of the tap and into the cup.  
"All seems well the me," Thor said, a smug smile crossing his face.  
"Dudes..." Clint breathed, "*no one* tell Tony."


	3. Sometimes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little Pepperony drabble for you folks, hope you love them as much as I do!

Sometimes they talk. They sit, facing each other in armchairs, and discuss anything and everything. Pepper tells him it's a bad idea. Tony replies with the fact that he's the heir to billions of dollars: *nothing* is a bad idea.  
Sometimes they argue. Mostly it's Tony's fault. He's not sleeping. He forgot to shower. To change. To eat. To drink. He won't *talk* to her. For God's sake Tony just once won't you listen.   
Sometimes they don't talk. The lunches and free periods they share with their friends become awkward. Clint tries to make a joke, break the silence. Natasha hits him.  
They always make up. Sometimes quickly. Sometimes after a week. Once, two.  
Sometimes they just are. The two of them. Tony watching some old action movie on the TV. Pepper, stretched across the couch and her head in his lap as he sprawls out as much as he can.  
Those are the moments they savour.   
The peaceful ones. The ones spent amongst friends. Away from the horrors of growing up and finding jobs and demanding parents.  
Those are the moments they know they are in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like it? Dislike it? Let me know! Comments are gold and kudos are nutrition to poor fanfiction writers!


	4. The Subtle Differences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Clintasha, because despite what Whedon thinks, they're meant for each other.

They have a funny relationship, the two of them. No one ever thought it would work. They thought she'd break his arm or that he'd break her heart. They couldn't have been more wrong.  
Really, nothing changed that much from when they had been friends.  
There were subtle differences, if you knew when to look.  
It was the mornings, the way he would come into the kitchen ten minutes early just to make a coffee for her; just the way she liked it.  
It was the occasional free period, when she would gather of all of his things that he had lent out and put them back in his room.  
It was how now, when they looked at each other, they did it at the same time. And they smiled.  
It was how she one day was living in his dorm.  
It was how they started to take turns to make breakfast.  
It was how she would start to tiptoe to whisper something and he would lower his head so that they met in the middle.  
It was how he could make her laugh harder than anyone else.  
It was how she could ask him to be serious and he would listen.  
It was when they walked together their steps matched their hands found each other.  
It was when they were with friends they sat so close to each other it looked like they might meld together at any moment.  
It was when his brother resurfaced after years of nothing, he told her first.  
It was when she knew she loved him, she said it simply, and it made him smile.  
It was how he replied that he knew, and she was smiling so much she didn't even hit him.  
It was how anyone could call her Tasha, but only he could call her Nat.  
It was how everyone called him Clint, but only she didn't have to say his name when she spoke to him.


	5. The Meaning of Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint decides to find out what his name means, then, of course, everyone else got involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revision? Nah. Avengers drabbles? Yah.

"Hey, Nat?"  
"Yeah, Clint?"  
"Did you know how boring my name is?"  
"What?" Natasha looked up from her book to where Clint was perched in an armchair.  
"Yeah. I looked up Clinton, it means 'settlement on a hill'. Then I looked up Barton, it means 'from the barley farm'. I am literally from a barley farm in a settlement on a hill."  
Clint looked so put out by his discovery that Natasha had to grin, "what about Francis?" She suggested.  
Her boyfriend fell silent and began typing on his phone, Natasha shook her head and returned to her book.  
Until Clint made a frustrated sound.  
"It means 'Frenchman'! Now I'm a Frenchman from a barley farm in a settlement on a hill."  
"What about Barney's name?" Natasha asked; if his brother's name was even less interesting, Clint would probably feel a little better.  
Clint began typing furiously.  
"Well, Charles means 'manly'..." Clint started, dejectedly.  
"Keep going," Natasha prompted.  
"Bernard means…" Clint sighed heavily, "'brave as a bear'… come on! This is ridiculous."  
"So, just to clarify, your brother's name is 'Manly Brave as a Bear from a settlement on a hill'?" Natasha laughed, ignoring Clint's look of indignation.  
"Your name means 'birthday'." He informed her. "You're Birthday Son of Roman."  
"At least I'm not a Frenchman from the most mundane place in the world." Natasha shot back, laughing.  
"Who's French?" Steve asked, entering the kitchen/common room.  
"Ooh, do Steve!" Natasha said.  
"Already on it." Clint smirked.  
Steve looked bewildered. "What?"  
"What's your middle name?" Clint asked.  
"Um… Grant?"  
Natasha glanced at him in amusement, "you sure about that?"  
Steve rolled his eyes at her.  
"You're Victorious and Grand Son of Roger." Clint said. "Fitting."  
"I could've told you that." Steve deadpanned, easing onto the couch next to Natasha.  
Tony entered the room looking puzzled, "why are so many people laughing without me being present?" He asked, scrutinising them. "What are you doing? Why am I not involved?"  
Steve grinned at Clint, "do him."  
"Well, I'm flattered, but you should know that Pepper and I-"  
"And Clint and I are also in a very committed relationship," Natasha told Tony, before he could go any further.  
"Alright," Clint started, before the two could begin to bicker. "Tony is Highly Praiseworthy, Rich and Strong."  
He pulled a face as Tony said, "obviously. But what is this about?"  
"Name meanings." Natasha explained.  
"What's Peggy's?" Steve asked.  
"And Pepper's." Tony added, not to be outdone.  
Clint snorted in amusement, "well, Peggy is Pearl, who's nicknamed Pearl, who transports their goods by cart."  
"And Pepper?" Tony asked again.  
"Huh… she's either Maiden Pit, or Maiden Lover of Horses." Clint shrugged, "people should really think more before they name their kids."  
It was at that point that Thor wandered in, and eyed the small gathering curiously. "What are you doing?"  
"What does Thor's name mean?" Tony asked, and received several withering looks.  
"My name literally means Thunder Son of Odin." Thor informed him. "But if we are studying names, what does Jane's name mean?"  
"Uh… Jehovah has been Gracious… to the One who keeps the Forests?" Clint guessed, "I have no idea how to put that one together."  
Bucky, who must have been passing, entered and said: "I'm really quite offended that you haven't tried my name yet."  
"My sincerest apologies," Clint offered blithely. "You are… Supplanter of the House of the Canon… and spear? You nickname yourself Male Deer, apparently."  
"So Rhodey is also a supplanter." Tony mused.  
"What's his middle name?" Clint asked as he began typing again.  
"Rupert."  
"Right, so he's… Supplanter and Bright Fame of A Clearing in the Woods."  
"I swear names are supposed to be an insight into people's personalities." Natasha muttered with a grin.  
"Mine was right on." Tony boasted.  
"Same here." Steve added.  
"Sam's isn't." Clint provided helpfully. "Name of God and Twin Son of Will."  
"And Darcy?" Thor asked curiously.  
Clint looked slightly worried by whatever result showed on his phone.  
"Well?" Natasha prompted, interested now.  
"Umm… Dark One, Fame and War." Clint revealed.  
"That… does not sound like Darcy at all." Thor said, frowning.  
"What about Bruce?" Tony asked quickly, deciding to change the subject.  
"Famed… Thick Brush, Flag." Clint raised his eyebrows. "That's quite a name to live up to."  
"Where is Bruce?" Steve asked, looking around. "I thought he'd be here."  
"In the lab." Tony said idly. "He blew something up."  
"Bruce?" Natasha looked doubtful.  
"He's a scientist too, you know." Tony replied, "I'm not the only one who gets to blow shit up."  
"So, he fucked up then?" Clint surmised, putting his phone in his pocket.  
Tony shrugged, "happens to the best. Apart from me. Obviously."  
"You fuck up all the time!" Steve said, looking at Tony in disbelief.  
"It's true." Natasha confirmed.  
"Rhodey said you always have." Bucky added.  
"That son of a bitch." Tony muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Assbuts_in_221B for being a supportive beta (now go and revise).


End file.
